Monthly Archives: August 2009

In a column in the Kansas City Star, Dan Margolies wrote, “The push for tort reform rests largely on anecdotal evidence of the occasional large jury verdict or outrageous lawsuit. Despite the perception that ‘jackpot justice’ has fueled soaring costs, hard data yield a much different picture. The most reliable estimates peg the costs of […]

Tomorrow, September 1, 2009, is the day quite a few new laws go into effect in Texas. Several of these laws will directly apply to vehicle drivers and passengers, and all Texans should be aware of them. The goal of each of these new laws is to increase safety on our roads and highways, and […]

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced Thursday that the agency has entered into an agreement with Microsoft to test the use of Microsoft’s HealthVault application in the disability process. HealthVault is a free online service that enables people to gather, store and manage their families’ health information, and share that information with their […]

HealthDay News is reporting on the possible changes to cigarette packages under new U.S. regulations contained in the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. These regulations apparently will require manufacturers to devote a large percentage of the front and back of packs of cigarettes to graphic images of the damage smoking can do to […]

In an announcement that is good news for injury victims, Chrysler said it will accept product liability claims in a broader number of cases than originally planned in its reorganization under bankruptcy protection. The story was reported by the Associated Press. Here are excerpts: The automaker said it will now consider product-related lawsuits from consumers […]

The New York Times reports, “At least four million Americans under age 65 are exposed to high doses of radiation each year from medical imaging tests,” according to a study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers also found that an estimated “400,000 of those patients receive very high doses, more than the […]

My friend Herb Friedman has an excellent column in the Lincoln Journal Star saying that tort reform in medical malpractice claims would remove the checks currently in place on medical treatment. Friedman states, “Malpractice amounts to less than 2 percent of health care spending, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO has estimated that […]

Modern Healthcare reported, Aetna has “established new, tighter policies” to constitute whether it will pay for “medical care related to errors made by providers.” Under the policies, Aetna has “broken errors into two categories: ‘never events’– three events involving surgery: wrong patient, wrong site and wrong procedure — and 25 serious reportable events as defined […]

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has issued recall announcements of several types of window shades because of the risk of strangulation. These recalls are important for all parents of small children to understand. Here is a summary from the CPSC: Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall To Repair Window Blinds By Vertical Land In […]

In a column in the Baltimore Sun today Jay Hancock discuss some of the myths about health care reform. One is that “tort reform” would significantly cut the costs of medical care in the United States. His conclusion is that it would make little difference. Here are the relevant paragraphs from his article: “Why is […]

Hearst Newspapers reported, “While the White House acknowledges that hospital medical errors are ‘a big and serious problem,’ a senior administration official says President Barack Obama does not favor a mandatory reporting system for all medical mistakes, just for infections.” The Administration argues for this separation because “while infections can be easily documented, not every […]

In what should be good news for those of us who routinely request hospital records, a new Texas law goes into effect September 1, 2009. This amendment to the Health and Safety Code will limit the fee for medical reports requested and delivered in digital format to $75 plus the actual cost of delivery. Here […]

In continuing coverage in a column in the New York Times, Roni Caryn Rabin writes, “Physicians are allowed to use drugs in ways that are not specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration, a practice called off-label prescribing,” but “a new survey…found that many might not even know when they are prescribing off label.” […]

As reported today in the Washington Post, the Department of Veterans Affairs is facing the possibility of a series of negligence lawsuits over contaminated medical equipment used in colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures. Here are excerpts: Army veteran Juan Rivera reported to the veterans hospital in Miami for a routine colonoscopy in May 2008. Almost a […]

Many elderly people rely entirely on family or other trusted individuals to help them. Whether it is for physical needs or emotional needs, as people grow older they tend to need more and more help from others. This dependence on caregivers or family members makes an older person more vulnerable for abuse. For example, an […]

The Washington Post has a very interesting article about the medical transport helicopter business. Alarmingly, this “multibillion-dollar air-medical business” is “now one of the most dangerous jobs in America…with 113 deaths for every 100,000 employees.” Here are a few more excerpts from the article: The number of fatal flights has risen sharply, closely tracking the […]

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has renewed a warning to parents about close-sleeper/bedside-sleeper bassinets after two more infants were killed when they became trapped in the bassinets. The bassinets were manufactured by Simplicity. According to the Washington Post, “The company’s 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible bassinets contain metal bars spaced farther apart than federal standards allow. […]

In a 5-page story, ABC News on its Web site reported, “As the national health care debate continues into the fall, malpractice reform is expected to come to the forefront. But the question remains as to whether malpractice reform really works — and who benefits the most. A recent study by Americans for Insurance Reform, […]

RunPee.com is one of the all-time funniest software ideas. It’s a Web site or iPhone application that tells you the best time (to the minute) to leave a movie and “run pee.” It even provides a synopsis of what happened during the four minutes allowed for you to leave the movie. Movies currently being shown […]

Bob Kraft

I am a Dallas, Texas lawyer who has had the privilege of helping thousands of clients since 1971 in the areas of Personal Injury law, Social Security Disability, Elder Law, Medicaid Planning for Long Term Care, and VA Benefits.

Please click the CONTACT button at the top of this page if you have questions about Personal Injury law, Social Security Disability, Elder Law, Medicaid Planning for Long Term Care, or Veterans Benefits. You’ll find we’re easy to talk to, and we never charge for that first phone call.

About This Blog’s Title

The title of this blog reflects my attitude toward those government agencies and insurance companies that routinely mistreat injured or disabled people. As a Dallas, Texas lawyer, I've spent more than 40 years trying to help those poor folk, and I have been frustrated daily by the actions of the people on the other side of their claims. (Sorry if I offended you...)

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